In this section, I explore some of the data that is available on standardized testing in Appalachia by referencing the multiple scholarly sources. The first article, Postsecondary Transitions for Youth in Appalachia’s Central Subregions: A Review of Education Research, 1995-2015, reviews research on issues surrounding postsecondary transitions for youth in middle (North Central, Central, and South Central) Appalachia. The authors, Kannapel & Flory, state that many states use ACT or SAT scores as indicators of college and career readiness. However, the percentage of students who participate in each test varies across states, making comparisons difficult (Kannapel & Flory, 2017). For example, in 2014, ACT participation rates among high school seniors were 100% in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee; 72% in Ohio; 65% in West Virginia; and 28% in Virginia, while ACT data specific to middle Appalachia’s subregions were unavailable (Kannapel & Flory, 2017). This is intriguing mainly because mainstream stereotypes surrounding Appalachia fail to address the variances within the region.

Similar to Kannapel & Flory, Mokher’s articles Preliminary Findings From Impact And Implementation Analyses Of The Northeast Tennessee I3 Consortium and The CTE equation in Tennessee also address discourse surrounding ACT scores in Appalachia. Mokher’s studies described ACT scores in Appalachian portions of Kentucky and Tennessee (where the ACT is mandatory), and suggested that students in these areas were performing as well, or nearly so, as their non- Appalachian peers within the states (Mokher, 2011; Mokher, Lee, & Sun, 2015). This is intriguing because it shatters the stereotype that Appalachian schools are sub-par with regard to education level.

In 24 Central Appalachian Kentucky school districts, the percentage of students who met college readiness benchmarks in reading was nearly the same as the statewide average (43.5% vs. 44.0%, respectively), though fewer students met the state’s math benchmarks than in the state as a whole (36.4% vs. 41.2%, respectively) (Mokher, 2011). This highlights an interesting contrast between English language classes that focus on reading comprehension and writing, versus math courses. Also, in 30 northeast Tennessee high schools that are part of a consortium to improve college and career readiness, the mean composite ACT score was identical to the statewide average in 2013 (19.5) and nearly identical in 2014, with consortium schools averaging 19.9, compared with 19.8 statewide (ACT, 2014; Mokher, Lee, & Sun, 2015). These two studies suggest that students in middle Appalachia are achieving at or near the same level as their non-Appalachian peers. However, average scores are still low and the findings are limited to two states. Additional research is needed to understand ACT performance across middle Appalachia. Though these findings are limited, they still provide an interesting dive into standardized testing in Appalachia.

Sources:

Kannapel, P. J., & Flory, M. A. (2017). Postsecondary Transitions for Youth in Appalachia’s Central Subregions: A Review of Education Research, 1995-2015. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 32(6), 1-17. Retrieved May 5, 2019.

Mokher, C., Lee, S., & Sun, C. (2015). Preliminary findings from impact and implementation analyses of the northeast Tennessee i3 consortium. Retrieved from CNA Web site: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/IRM- 2015-U-2015-009660.pdf

Mokher, C., Sun, C., & Pearson, J. (2015). The CTE equation in Tennessee. Retrieved from CNA Web site: https:// www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/CIM-2015-U-011930.pdf